November 2009

PLANET REPORT: Despite a sharply spoken and impetuous Full Moon occurring on the 3rd in Taurus at 08:15am and Saturn’s entry into Libra late last month, the planet to watch now is the robust, optimistic and highly creative but somewhat dogmatic and determined Mars. Gathering momentum in fellow-Fire sign, Leo, it will remain here until June 2010: an eight month stint that is highly unusual for this normally swifter planet. Since it turns retrograde just 10 days before New Year, Mars assumes a leading role as it sets the tone for 2010. Occurring only once every two years (last time was Nov 07) it is fairly unusual for Mars to stay in one sign for so long. Slowing life down from 21st December and bringing a multitude of false starts where we will need to pull back and reassess our intentions and actions, Mars’ backward movement will last until March 11th when we will find ourselves back at the beginning of whatever occurs now. This extended phase signals a period of activity that occurs in fits and starts and is a time when we will need to know when to act. In the long run, Mars will help to cultivate new-found confidence and hope but to do this we need to be constantly aware of just how far we can go without getting too one-eyed or over-extended – pride can come before a fall with this stubborn placement so keep plans realistic or under wraps until there is 100% certainty that this is the way to go. In November, we can get a head start by being observant and conscious of what is taking place as these projects, people, places, feelings, thoughts or events will have the most relevance during the coming months and will lay the foundation for 2010. Very comfortable and at home in this sign, Mars is the honoured guest of the Sun until June, and in November, the Sun will likewise be travelling through Mars’ own sign Scorpio until the 22nd revealing an easy flow of energy between two very gutsy planets and signs. And in spite of the bigger challenges that Saturn and Pluto are presenting with their tense angle to each other this month (as well as the Full Moon, which can tend toward recklessness) this is a great window in time to get stuck into projects that have the long term in mind as the cracks and flaws should be revealed if our research and train of thought is thorough. The key to the current cosmic energy is to visualise on a bigger scale – something that Saturn’s recent travels through Virgo have prevented us from doing - and working out a game plan that arises out of research, a balanced perspective and a co-operative and fair team spirit. Mars can provide the determination and willpower, all we have to do is to come to the party. November 5th will bring all sorts of wonderful ideas and concepts to the fore, and there may be a little luck involved in what takes place; however by the New Moon of the 17th we may have difficulty getting things off the ground due to the cloudiness of perception.

ARIES: Saturn in your other people realm for the next two years will be changing the way you view those who are important in your life. From marriage or business partners to professionals and best friends, you will seek a sense of balance from the people you interact with. Mars will lend greater confidence to end those that have run their course or, conversely, strengthen the alliances that complement your current passions. Right up until June 2010 your creative potential, talents, self-expression, sports, speculation, romance and children will be highlighted via the birth, adoption or nurture of a child, romance or artistic venture that will involve more than one gamble to pull off. Patience and discipline is the name of the game since there will be a lot of indecision between late December and March that will prove frustrating but which will give you time to digest what transpires. And whether it is a new romance, child or love interest, by June you will be in a totally different placer altogether.

TAURUS: We are all experiencing two significant planetary changes this month as Mars moves into Leo and Saturn into Libra. For you, the most significant will be Mars shifting into your sphere of home, family, shared living, father and general domestic life and bringing to life situations that will be highlighted until June 2010. Triggering off key situations, the month begins with a Full Moon in your sign on the 3rd immediately underlining areas of conflict and differences in the way things are run. Life could become quite fiery during November and what gets said or written needs to be considered very carefully. You may be surprised at what issues have been lying just below the surface ready to leap out but if whoever is involved can handle sensitive issues with kid gloves, a very creative phase can begin in your home life. Conversely, it’s time to knuckle down at work or within the realm of health and wellbeing. Finding balance is vital for a smoothly running day to day routine.

GEMINI: Even if you are one of the more retiring Gemini folk, communication is vital to your sign and you take pride in your self-expression and enjoy bouncing ideas around when it suits you. There is nothing like a good chin-wag about the latest news or issues that you are interested in. As a result, you will be pleased to know that during the next eight months, you will have plenty of opportunity to up the ante and become more vocal about something you feel very passionate about in your sphere of neighbours, siblings and community. Even if there is nothing in particular that has caught your attention, your confidence in your ideas will still continue to grow. You may simply develop certain intellectual passions as well as indulge in your favourite past times such as reading, writing, speaking and developing your mind. By the same token, this is a good time to look toward long term structuring with a child’s welfare or commitment to creative projects or romance, which can suddenly mature quite quickly.

CANCER: While other signs will be feeling the heat and passion of Mars over the next eight months, Saturn will be the more dominant planet for Crabs as it crosses the nadir of your chart and moves into the most personal area of your life: that of your home and family and general domestic life. The cusp of this house is the foundation for the rest of one’s existence because when changes happen here, one’s outlook and perceptions affect all the other areas such as relationships, life direction and how other people view and relate to you. Since Saturn is all about restructuring and streamlining, the next two years will see a gradual withdrawal of people and circumstances that have been dominant in your life for a very long time. On the other hand, you definitely stand to benefit from the confidence in your earnings sector that Mars will be stirring up until June ’10. Passion and consistency will be the key attributes that can fill the coffers. Your staying power is immense now and people will notice what you have to offer.

LEO: Mars now travels through your sign and will remain here until June 2010. Key dates will be when it does a U-turn on December 21st and then again on March 11th when it turns to direction motion. The time in-between these dates will be of developing confidence in yourself and of making sense of the environment you find yourself operating in – your personality will have a definite impact on those around you so be more aware of your states of mind. Health and wellbeing are very important too and this makes it vital that you find time to recharge your batteries rather than run yourself ragged with all the things you suddenly find yourself passionate about. Life is certainly going to be very colourful and loud! Intellectually, you have begun a slow process of redeveloping your ideas and concepts and you may find you seek others out a lot more than usual to share ideas or gauge other people’s opinions. Being your own person, this will lead unusual steps such as writing down your thoughts in a logical process or indulging in conversations and discussions.

VIRGO: It will take a while to get used to the feeling but do your shoulders feel lighter now that Saturn has finally moved on from your sign Virgo? Like a guest who has long-overstayed his welcome, you can heave a sigh of relief as you shut the door and return to normal life without the need to calculate extra meals or to be conscious of what you are doing. And with the formalities out of the way, you can drop the polite but tense mask and return to the mundane tasks of your life that suddenly seem less tiring than they have been. Simultaneously, with Mars shifting into your sphere of behind-the-scenes activities for an extended stay that will last until June ’10, you will find you have plenty of time to focus on your inner needs and private life. You can also build for the future on a financial level by learning to balance books and working out a saving plan to reduce risk or debt. Large institutions or places of retreat may figure prominently in the coming months.

LIBRA: Now that Saturn is establishing itself in your sign for a two year stay, you will gradually notice that people and events will begin to surface that lead to a greater maturity within yourself in the long run. You are emerging from a little cocoon that you may not have even realised you were in until you come face to face with these brand new situations that call for a balanced and precise way of dealing with the world. Lucky for you that Saturn likes being in your sign and that your experience will be completely different to Virgo’s, who have had quite a rough time of it during the past two years. For you, you will recognise the benefits of meeting challenges and obstacles so that a greater sense of balance and fairness can prevail. And socially, with Mars in your networking sphere until June, this can also be a fantastic time of meeting strong, creative people who have a definite stature in their particular circles.

SCORPIO: Happy Birthday Scorpio! With its shift into your sphere of honours, recognition, profession and reputation, your ruler Mars will soon thrust you into the limelight, where you will remain until June next year. Life on a professional and public level will prove very interesting as the New Year draws near and though this may seem daunting at first you will have plenty of time between late December and March to get used to this new state of affairs. There will be times when you will need to know how much to take on but you will enjoy having your creativity challenged when you are called on to handle red-hot situations that require flair and inventiveness to handle. You are a resourceful sign though and you will amaze even yourself with what you can achieve. Bosses, authority figures and even a parent such as your mother will stand tall in your life over the next eight months but if you can take on the extra responsibilities your stature as a hard worker or initiator will grow to great proportions. Your personal New Moon occurs on the 17th and you will need to navigate through the murk before you can gain enough confidence to rise to the challenges that Mars brings.

SAGITTARIUS: Seeking answers in high places becomes normal for you now that Mars has moved into fellow-Fire sign Leo, where it will remain until June. You may find yourself actively pursuing philosophical lines of thought as your thirst for knowledge grows by the day. Rising above the everyday routines and tasks will certainly show you a very different lie of the land than you have been used to operating at ground level as you have been over the past two years. And with this knowledge you can learn to publicise your talents and showcase your particular brand of energy and vitality better than ever. For others, travel and education may be the routes to gaining experience and knowledge that will lead to career advancement later in 2010 and you will wonder where the wander-lust has come from. Even if you can’t travel physically, reading about other cultures or mingling with people from places very different to your own can all have the same mind-expanding effect. Socially, you will be mixing with associates who are older and more experienced and they can also teach you new tricks or help you develop new tools.

CAPRICORN: Intensity is the name of the game during November as your ruler Saturn squares off with Pluto who sits at the very beginning of your sign. Your life right now is all about taking on responsibilities and challenges that will ultimately bring balance and harmony to your career, trade, profession and public reputation in the long term. If you can keep the future in mind rather than expecting short term solutions, you will get through this phase without too many hassles; allowing the old to fall away will help too. Mars has also shifted signs and now occupies your realm of other people’s money, shared resources and assets as well as areas such as taxes, insurances, loans, mortgages, settlements and claims and will remain here until June. This extended stay suggests there is a lot that needs to be worked through on a financial level that you share with others but that once you finally put this area of your life on the straight and narrow you will be free to pursue travel and education prospects in the second half of 2010.

AQUARIUS: With Mars taking up occupancy in your opposite sign Leo, the coming months will prove challenging but very interesting. Since Jupiter is currently moving through your sign there will be times when the period of growth you are experiencing within the new 12-year cycle that began in January will be put to the test by the important people in your life. Lucky for you that Mars does not quite catch Jupiter thereby avoiding clashes where small issues turn into big ones, however, there will still be a sense that others have their own particular needs and expectations that are distinct from your own thoughts and ideas. Between late December and March, you will certainly need to work through issues with others on a calmer level. Philosophically and educationally, Saturn in your sphere of higher thinking helps you to develop a broader, fairer and more balanced viewpoint but you will need to work through the conditioning of the past to integrate and understand new concepts and beliefs that are foreign to your own.

PISCES: You seem to be in a great place at the moment Pisces – Saturn has moved out of your opposite sign Virgo and away from all those restrictive people – and has moved into your shared assets, finances and resources department where you can begin to build a better base for yourself and/or your partner. This may be a time when you make up your mind to reduce debt or work through issues involving taxes, loans and other financial situations that can only grow worse without a balanced way of dealing with them. Saturn enjoys being in Libra so it should be a case of simply making up your mind to do it rather than have it forced on you. Working more creatively is also the order of the day with Mars moving through your realm of everyday routine for the next eight months. Set challenges for yourself so that you are stretched to come up with innovative ways of tackling tasks, or perhaps make an effort to guide those who require your leadership in a specialised area. Health-wise, physical exercise and a moderate diet will bring benefits – you just have to resist the temptation to be over-indulgent!